Daily Digest 5/21 – It’s Time to Step Into the Arena, How the Coronavirus is Killing the Middle Class

by Daily Digest

Economy

Santiago, one of Latin America’s most prosperous cities, went into a strict lockdown on Friday following a surge in coronavirus cases, though many individual neighboorhoods, including El Bosque had been in quarantine for weeks. President Sebastian Pinera announced plans Sunday to distribute millions of food baskets to low and middle-class families struggling amid the hardship. Local police officials are warning that unrest may spread.

“There is no reason to hoard food or to engage in speculation,” Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker told reporters on Tuesday.

Speaking before the U.N. Security Council, World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley recently described “the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.” He made his case through grim mathematics. There are 135 million people facing crisis levels of hunger or worse. The WFP estimates that covid-19 will push an additional 130 million people to the brink of starvation. That would leave 265 million people on famine’s edge. Yet on any given day, the WFP helps feed about 100 million people. The gap between need and capacity is an unfolding disaster.

Start with hygiene. People have learned that cleaning your hands is essential to stopping the transfer of infectious droplets from surfaces to your nose, mouth, and eyes. But frequency makes a bigger difference than many realize. A study conducted at a military boot camp found that a top-down program of hand washing five times a day cut medical visits for respiratory infections by forty-five per cent. Research on the 2002 sars coronavirus outbreak found that washing hands more than ten times a day reduced people’s infection rate by even more. Disinfecting surfaces helps, too, and frequency probably matters, although I haven’t found good research on this. The key, it seems, is washing or sanitizing your hands every time you go into and out of a group environment, and every couple of hours while you’re in it, plus disinfecting high-touch surfaces at least daily.

Many people in a variety of industries—manufacturing, retail, transportation, health care, and more—cannot work from home, of course. Yet the pandemic has shown just how many companies can function adequately, even successfully, without placing all their employees in the same office. If you run an organization whose employees are more or less getting their work done at home, listen to that little voice in your head. Return to the office now? That’s crazy talk. I’m only telling you what you already know.

In the last four weeks, as large sections of the global economy have shut down, more than thirty-three million Americans have filed for unemployment. People with jobs that aren’t deemed essential, or that render telework impossible, are suddenly without work, and, in many cases, savings. According to the C.E.O. of Feeding America, the pandemic is likely to leave an additional seventeen million Americans needing food assistance in the next six months. Recently, in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Irving, Texas, people waited outside food pantries in lines that stretched miles. Tens of thousands of people who can’t pay their bills have gone on rent strikes.

Ultimately, the only way that the U.S. is going to be able to service this exploding debt is to wildly devalue the currency. This is the road that the Weimar Republic, Venezuela and so many others have gone down, and it always ends in utter disaster.

Only this time the biggest economy on the entire planet is doing it, and the currency that we are devaluing is the reserve currency of the world.

Ivermectin is an FDA-approved anti-parasitic drug used for the treatment of head lice, scabies, ascariasis, etc. Earlier in March, a study published by the Monash University, Australia, suggested that the drug has strong anti-viral activity against COVID-19. In lab studies, a single treatment reduced the presence of virus by 5,000 fold within 48 hours.

As per the FDA, ivermectin doesn’t have any contraindications apart from an allergy to its components. However, the FDA has warned that this drug has not yet been approved for the treatment of COVID-19 and hence should not be taken to prevent or treat the coronavirus infection unless your doctor tells you so.

The researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine said they found that more patients who took hydroxychlorquine died than those who didn’t. Renowned infectious disease specialist Dr. Stephen Smith – who has promoted hydroxychloroquine as a “game changer,” reporting success among his patients – has called the Virginia study a “sham.”

We have got astounding results. Out of 60 COVID-19 patients, all recovered as the combination of the two drugs were applied, said Professor Dr Md Tarek Alam, the head of medicine department at private Bangladesh Medical College Hospital (BMCH). Alam, a reputed clinician in Bangladesh, said a frequently used antiprotozoal medicine called Ivermectin in a single dose with Doxycycline, an antibiotic, yielded virtually the near-miraculous result in curing the patients with COVID-19.

But the report’s claim centers around missing location data for up to seven phones — and in many cases, less than that. It’s too small a sample size to prove much of anything, especially when the same devices showed similar absences in the spring of 2019. The MACE document claims a November 2019 conference was canceled because of some calamity; in fact, there are selfies from the event.

Stepping up and getting into the arena will mean something different for each of us, but the one word that keeps popping into my head is resilience. There are several clear ways to become more resilient. There’s mental and emotional resiliency, there’s financial resiliency and there’s physical resiliency (where and how you live). I see all three as fundamentally important and functioning best when working together. Resiliency starts at the most basic level because if you and your family aren’t resilient, then you won’t be much use to anyone else. If the people of a community or nation lack resiliency it provides the perfect space for authoritarianism and evil to manifest and flourish.

Well, we are a few months into the outbreak and now the US has the largest number of infections in the world. US deaths are already almost triple that of the CDC’s yearly reported 30,000 deaths for the flu. The virus is no Black Plague, but it’s not something to be shrugged off either. If this virus behaves anything like the pandemics of the past, expect it to linger for a couple of years, not just a few months. The lockdowns actually guarantee that this situation will drag on for quite some time.

Apple i-Phone sales have crashed 77% in April, right along with almost every other sector of the economy. Clearly, the Trump Administration and Larry Kudlow were either lying to us in February, or they had no idea what they were talking about.

And spraying for mosquitoes isn’t the half of it, as any walk through the lawn-care department of a big-box store will attest. People want the outdoors to work like an extension of their homes — fashionable, tidy, predictable. Above all, comfortable. So weedy yards filled with tiny wildflowers get bulldozed end to end and replaced with sod cared for by homeowners spraying from a bottle marked “backyard bug control” or by lawn services that leave behind tiny signs warning, “Lawn care application; keep off the grass.”

Gold & Silver

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15 Comments

Covid query - advice please!!!

Hi folks,

I am new to this site and hope this is appropriate to ask on here. I live just outside of London in the UK and thanks to Chris Martenson and Adam Taggart, have been ahead of most people here - for which I am truly grateful as I have managed to protect my family, partner and vulnerable friends as much as possible! Some of which have only recently realised what I was talking about!! I live in a highly populated area and have managed to self-isolate, but unfortunately have to go to hospital for an examination next week. I feel prepared with my mask and will be wearing a pair of swimming goggles (more like a mask) to protect my eyes and hold the top of the mask down. I plan to gargle with alcohol based antiseptic mouthwash when I leave but wondered about my sinuses as I know the virus can lurk in nasal passages too. I looked up nasal sprays and found Sterimar. The one for congestion contains copper, which made me pay attention as it was the material copper (in the surface study https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973) that allowed CV19 to remain viable for just 4 hours... This may be a really large leap of logic but does anyone think this may have some merit if I spray with the copper Sterimar before and after being in hospital? It circulates through your sinuses but after 30 seconds or so, you need to blow it out. I guess I'm pretty anxious about being in a potential CV19 hotspot and may be clutching at straws... Would appreciate people with knowledge in the field giving their opinion. It might be just rinsing with a saline solution is ok, or not at all.

Ten thumbs up for

Thank you Paul B for this article. It captures well what I have been feeling of late. I especially liked this part:

"...Yes it took parasites, sociopathic oligarchs and a power drunk national security state to bring us to our current state of affairs, but it also took the rest of us. For far too long we as a people have been apathetic, hoodwinked spectators to the life unfolding around us."

I am finding the widespread willful ignorance that exists in society in general to be deeply troubling these days. In my mind that, and the apathy that goes with it, implies culpability.

The economic, financial and personal bankruptcies being experienced across the globe have been enabled by widespread moral and ethical bankruptcy at all levels. For some reason the word 'betrayal' keeps popping into my head. It is quite unsettling to realize just how few there are who seem to be able to open their eyes to reality even a smidgen; to demonstrate that they care. Yes.... it feels like betrayal...

I say once again, the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

here's looking at you kid

Further...

Up to now, we’ve been largely passive participants in this experiment in self-governance. Our inaction and inattention has left us at the mercy of power-hungry politicians, corrupt corporations and brutal, government-funded militias.

Redneck Engineer said:

"The virus does not spread easily in other ways

COVID-19 is a new disease and we are still learning about how it spreads. It may be possible for COVID-19 to spread in other ways, but these are not thought to be the main ways the virus spreads.

From touching surfaces or objects. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are still learning more about this virus."

Subject: N-95 Masks — Ignoring the elephant in the room. Dear Dr. Chris Martenson, Perhaps I have missed something in this protracted conversation about N-95 Masks. If that is the case, I would sincerely appreciate updating and correcting my understanding by being presented with the facts. Although I am retired now, I spent a good portion of my professional career consulting to Fortune 50 Companies as a Micro Contamination Control Consultant, designing insitu manufacturing facilities which provided micron and sub-micron contamination control and management. I believe I have an experienced knowledge base of the forces that influence the contamination and decontamination of micro-particulate in the size range of the Covid-19 virus. Since the early days of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I have listened to many arguments that support wearing an N-95 mask as the best way to protect yourself and others from exposure to the virus from non-symptomatic and symptomatic carriers. Am I missing something here? Readily available N-95 masks have large unfiltered center exhaust vents (the elephant) that allow un-resisted exhalations of the wearer’s breath. Unfortunately, this style of N-95 mask does nothing to protect others from contamination if an infected individual is wearing it. The exhaled breath leaving the vent is of relatively high volume and pressure, and it is turbulent, diffuse, and multi directional. For these reasons, the N-95 center vent insures that a large plume of exhaled breath is discharged as a potentially infected cloud of turbulent micro-particles billowing away from the mask wearer’s face. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge the fact that only N-95 masks that have no center vent, and that make a tight seal to one's face along the entire perimeter of the mask, offer any modicum of protection to the wearers, and most especially to those in their melu or immediate vicinity. Furthermore, it is my experienced opinion, that in the case of sub-micron virus particles entrained in exhaled breaths, masks that do not provide sub-micron filtration and/or masks that do not seal to the face, offer substantially reduced protection, if any protection at all. Professionally, I consider cloth and material masks, with no submicron filtration and/or seal, to provide little more than a deceptive false sense of security; tantamount to wearing a self and social deluding costume. Thank you for this opportunity to share my knowledge and analysis. I sincerely appreciate your invaluable contribution to my understanding about this virus and the possible cultural, societal, and economic implications. Thanks to you and your team, my family and I are establishing two large gardens and raising chickens for eggs to barter with, in what we believe will soon be an emerging new economy. I look forward to your most respected reply. Sincerely, Stan Kendz PhD. (okay to use name) PS. My PhD. is in Business where I researched the emerging "Consciousness-based Approach to Business Management Theory." I hold an MS in Instructional design and dual BS in Biology and Psychology. My diverse CV includes: High Purity Fluids Systems Engineering and Micro Contamination Control Consulting, including facility design, issuing MCC operating standards, and solving micro-contamination related manufacturing problems.

Subject: N-95 Masks — Ignoring the elephant in the room.

Dear Dr. Chris Martenson,

Perhaps I have missed something in this protracted conversation about N-95 Masks. If that is the case, I would sincerely appreciate updating and correcting my understanding by being presented with the facts.

Although I am retired now, I spent a good portion of my professional career consulting to Fortune 50 Companies as a Micro Contamination Control (MCC) Consultant, designing insitu manufacturing facilities which provided micron and sub-micron contamination control and management.

I believe I have an experienced knowledge base of the forces that influence the contamination and decontamination of micro-particulate in the size range of the Covid-19 virus.

Since the early days of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I have listened to many arguments that support wearing an N-95 mask as the best way to protect yourself and others from exposure to the virus from non-symptomatic and symptomatic carriers.

Am I missing something here?

Readily available N-95 masks have large unfiltered center exhaust vents (the elephant) that allow un-resisted exhalations of the wearer’s breath.

Unfortunately, this style of N-95 mask does nothing to protect others from contamination if an infected individual is wearing it.

The exhaled breath leaving the vent is of relatively high volume and pressure, and it is turbulent, diffuse, and multi directional. For these reasons, the N-95 center vent insures that a large plume of exhaled breath is discharged as a potentially infected cloud of turbulent micro-particles billowing away from the mask wearer’s face.

Perhaps it is time to acknowledge the fact that only N-95 masks that have no center vent, and that make a tight seal to one's face along the entire perimeter of the mask, offer any modicum of protection to the wearers, and most especially to those in their melu or immediate vicinity.

Furthermore, it is my experienced opinion, that in the case of sub-micron virus particles entrained in exhaled breaths, masks that do not provide sub-micron filtration and/or masks that do not seal to the face, offer substantially reduced protection, if any protection at all.

Professionally, I consider cloth and material masks, with no sub-micron filtration and/or seal, to provide little more than a deceptive false sense of security; tantamount to wearing a self and social deluding costume.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my knowledge and analysis.

I sincerely appreciate your invaluable contribution to my understanding about this virus and the possible cultural, societal, and economic implications.

Thanks to you and your team, my family and I are establishing two large gardens and raising chickens for eggs to barter with, in what we believe will soon be an emerging new economy.

I look forward to your most respected reply, and wish you and yours good luck and good fortune.

Sincerely,

Stan Kendz PhD. (okay to use my name)

My PhD. is in Business where I researched the emerging "Consciousness-based Approach to Business Management Theory."

I hold an MS in Instructional design and dual BS in Biology and Psychology.

Everyone should wear a mask

The issue was covered in prior videos, in that if everyone wore a mask, the inoculum an uninfected person receives is reduced by the mesh rating value of the mask they wear - the one the infected person wears - social distancing, which is a function of aerosol spread which we can take a common sense inverse square rule - theres no maths function for it so i = (m1 - m2) - D-n/α

i = inoculum received

m = Virus particles after mask filtration

D = Distance

n = number

α = Covid aerosols

it wont be right but we are in the idea ballpark. For instance you can have both people wearing medical masks with sufficient mesh ratings to stop covid which exist, the type of mask you have and the performance you get is dependent upon if you have had a nurse rather than a doctor training you, nurses are taught to breathe in through the mouth and exhale through the nose, which has a major effect on mask humidity and a self sealing function - as you can guess I have had years of medical clean room experience under an RGN.

N95 masks are rated to particle sizes of 0.3 microns or 300 nanometers which is about twice the size of the average flu virus, but you will never see a virus naked, its always encapsulated in vapor and has a charge, which traps it in N95 blown plastic filters.

The objective with masks is to reduce the inoculum received to the point where (a) the immune system copes with the infection or (b) there is a good outcome with an infection. This is moderated with prophylaxis, in this case essential nutrients required by the immune system, mucolytics and some off the shelf known and trusted medications.

The inoculum however changes indoors since this would be a protocol for up to level 3 exposure, its level 4 in a closed room hospital environment where the contagion is airborne and builds up - masks are not appropriate, wear Level 4 hazmats.

Stan Kendz, Chris and et al

As I have indicated my State is, for the most part back to work. A mandate for many businesses is to require customers and patrons to wear masks. Many if not the majority of people are wearing thin cloth masks. Some, wear them only over their mouth but not their nose, the majority of people constantly adjust their masks. Most all have no seal around their face what-so-ever. Since home-made cloth masks have very poor seals and really offer little protection as they are loose, leaky, thin should they be mandatory? But, I can absolutely attest that people FEEL like they are saving lives regardless of the poor quality and ineffectiveness of their masks. They also FEEL safer going out into public because masks will protect them and they are doing their part to protect others!

This is, in my opinion, an example of lack of common sense. I sincerely suspect that we truly are getting little protection from everyone wearing these cloth masks other than the extreme belief that masks are saving lives. Few, actually practically no-one stops to think about how effective their mask is. But hey, they ARE doing their part!

I too would like to hear a scientific explanation of the statistical percentage of benefit for people from wearing crappy but stylish masks. Generalizations of (wear a mask) are in my mind not very scientific. I will continue to work in a mask to make people FEEL safe, for a while but not forever unless a crappy masks can be proven to be Very effective.

Wear A Mask is A Generalization

As has been documented the Czech Republic has lowered its R0 to below one in large part by requiring everyone the wear a mask in public

Nothing more to see here. Time to move on and bring your copy of the constitution with you. You will need it when the government jabs that needle in your arm

Thats a generalization. What kind of masks, did they fit snugly, were they a single layer of cotton, a dust mask or N95? Were they effective when constantly re-adjusted? How often were the cloth masks washed, is it okay to share a mask with a family member and if the mask does not fit snugly are the degrees of leakage important or negligible?

I suspect few will want to evaluate the details. Its more comfortable to think “ I am doing my part, helping people and saving lives”! The mandate is “Wear A Mask” so really ANY mask meets the mandate and thus conversation over. But really, common sense should tell us the reality isn’t that simple.

I own a service business and I guarantee I will not be the last person to ask these questions. There is an extreme range of masks, quality, fit and effectiveness. And again “wear a mask” is a generalization, with no specifics. And from daily encounters with clients - some masks and mask wearers are comical. You’ll just wait and you will see what I mean.